Obituary: Janet McGraves
Janet McGraves
BRUNSWICK – Janet McGraves, passed away peacefully on Oct. 11, 2026 in a loving send-off from her close family.
Born in Topsham, Maine in 1947, she was a proud lifelong resident of Brunswick. Janet grew up in a loving home with her parents, Donald and Velma, her older brother Doug, and her identical twin sister, Jane, along with a menagerie of well-loved family pets. She could recite Brunswick High School cheers and we can still hear her singing “Get back, get back, get back to the woods…”
Janet dedicated 30 years to owning and operating the Lisbon Falls Dairy Maid, carrying on the family business her parents established 30 years earlier in 1952. Janet mentored countless young women and men working their first summer jobs at the ice cream and pizza stand, teaching them the value of hard work and the importance of treating customers right, always sprinkled with a little humor and compassion. A lifetime hard worker, she spent six days a week in the summer running the Dairy Maid, switching to L.L.Bean in the winter, then right back to summers at the Dairy Maid.
Prior to its closing, a member of Senator Angus King’s staff presented to Janet, Jane and the McGraves family a Senatorial Congratulations recognizing the Lisbon Falls Dairy Maid for 64 years as a cultural landmark.
Janet was known for her unmatched sense of humor. Janet delighted those around her with her impressions, silly faces, and quick wit. The younger Janet and crew could be seen tooling around Brunswick and Harpswell in her white Mustang with bright red interior. Even toward the end of her life, she found ways to bring laughter to her nurses and caregivers, sharing her gift for humor right up until the end.
Janet found joy in life’s simple pleasures, including Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, a fresh lobster roll, and a suspenseful episode of Murder, She Wrote. She was also a fun-loving aunt to J.D. and Katie, known for sneaking enormous bags of candy into movie theaters and furnishing copious amounts of ice cream (from the Dairy Maid).
Janet’s loyalty and deep affection for those she loved were at the heart of who she was. Once, speaking to a tall young man she had known since birth, Janet teased him, “You used to look up to me.” He replied, “I still do.” That simple exchange captures the lasting place Janet held in the lives of those she cared about. She stood by the people she loved through life’s difficult moments and celebrated their happiest ones, always bringing laughter and joy along the way. Janet had a special gift for making others feel cared for, supported, and cherished—a true friend whose love and presence left a lasting mark.
Janet is survived by her identical twin sister, Jane, brother-in-law, Ken; nephew, J.D. (Vanessa), niece, Katie (Cole); five delightful great-nieces and great-nephews, Maeve, Grant, Ian, Colin, and Esmé; as well as many connections and friends along the way including lifelong friend, Chrissy Davis.
The family would like to express heartfelt gratitude to the caring staff at Friends In-Home Care (Dawn), BaySquare (Melissa, Sandra, Bri), and MaineHealth (Dr. Inger, Leslie, Nicole, Emma). For those working in memory care, please know that on your hardest days and in the hardest moments, you make a difference and leave a lasting impact on those in your care, even if they are never able to express it. We sincerely appreciate you and thank you.
A service honoring Janet’s full life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Brunswick United Methodist Church, 320 Church Rd., Brunswick, ME 04011. Memories and condolences can be shared at http://www.brackettfh.com.
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